Witham Nursery
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Witham for from 2 years up to school age, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2022. Open since 2004, with 41 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
The government funds children the term after their third birthday for 15 hours a week for 38 weeks a year these sessions an be taken flexibly over 38 or 51 weeks. There is additional funding for 3 and 4 year old children whose parents meet specific financial requirements, see www.childcarechoices.gov.uk . We accept funding for 2 year olds who meet criteria as specified by Essex County Council.
What childcare usually costs in Essex
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Essex from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
CM8 1HNWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 11 March 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children settle into the nursery quickly. If children struggle, they are able to look at the visual timetable so that they know what will happen next. Children help to make sure that their friends are safe. For instance, they work with staff to complete checks, such as counting the number of children who are present.
Children enjoy the range of resources on offer. Younger children jump around excitedly trying to catch bubbles in the air. Older children use their imaginations.
For instance, they pretend to make meals for visiting adults. They carry cups carefully, pretending that they are full of tea for the visitor to drink.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support the less experienced staff to provide children with clear explanations and encourage children to confidently share their knowledge with others.
- 11 March 2022Good
- 19 November 2015Outstanding
- 8 August 2011Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Witham Nursery
- What it costs
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.